Snow Falling
by Aisuma
Summary: [2 Shots]The snow still falls. Yet even in the bitter frost one can still find solace and warmth.
1. Blizzard

Trying out something new. This one goes out to t-fly who asked about a Haku pairing. I didn't see his review about a Kin and Rock Lee until I was half finished with this one. Maybe in the future I'll make one with those two. Hope you all enjoy.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. That would be sick if I did though.

_**Blizzard**_

Snow falling. Constantly falling. Seems her life is the same. Continuously falling and until she finally hits the cold ground.

The girl's dark chestnut eyes can only gaze at frozen particles patter the snowy field like a shuriken being hurled at an enemy. Her body shivers from the effects of this chilling environment. It's this feeling of cold. Bitter cold that numbs the mind burns the skin and chills the soul. This frozen feeling that leaves you in your own seclusion to rot and freeze away. The only sensation is a small feeling of warmth. Not that this thing is warm. It's just not as cold compared to the rest of the environment.

When the soft lukewarm hands first touched her she tried to strike out at the perpetrator and only managed to injure her wounds more. Now the long hair kunoichi can only lie waiting while this girl of the mist tends to her wounds. The green vest and gray cameo shirt lay nearby as the supple fingers of Kin's oppressor tighten another bandage across her bosom to make sure the wounds would not reopen. The pair of sepia eyes paints the tired, almost lifeless face of the girl that cracks a smile towards Kin. "That should help now that the bleeding has stopped." Her voice replies still smiling at the sound girl. The gold bell could only let out a sigh from the pain and cold. This situation perplexes her. Shouldn't this kunoichi have finished her off by now? This has been the second time this week that she and her teammates failed in retrieving the Demon of the Mist and this demon of ice that holds her captive. Both of them should have been heavily injured, this girl's master shouldn't be able to move; yet she by herself has stopped all assaults from sound. The last battle had been the most deadly.

The long hair girl closes her eyes remembering the battle from probably a day ago. This girl, dressed in a faded brown turtleneck with matching color shorts and a dark snow blue robe. On her face was the emotionless mask of a hunter nin. This one had two red stripes, one swirling in the middle of the mask, and a crack that went down the middle of the mask like a thin crevice that you would see in the earth. For the past two hours this adversary had worn the emotionless mask, but today the three managed to knock it away. The frosty demoness would once again have clash against the golden needle, the prideful wolf and the lost melody.

And quite the fierce battle it was that raged on in a deadly game of hide and seek mixed with brutal close quarter combat and some long-range assaults. It finally came in the end where the three shinobi of Oto had locked their eyes on their cornered prey waiting to sink their fangs into her and make this woman reveal the location of the master of silent killing. That's when this warrior revealed just why her village is known as Bloody Mist. The air began to condense and create rectangular mirrors. Each one materialized into the atmosphere like a nightmare becoming real until that it surrounded the warriors of sound. The nightmare didn't begin just as yet. It's when the mist ninja stepped into one of the mirrors a whispered to the wind 'Demonic Ice Mirrors'…that is when the meaning of terror took a whole new level.

A rain of metal was the next thing Kin could register. Needles from everywhere. An amount as numerous as a swarm of enraged wasps with speeds swifter than sparrows. Each one stinging with their own life or making tiny yet painful slits on the skin. No matter what the long hair girl or her cohorts tried there was no sufficed in defending. Her wild hair teammate could not open his palms from the senbons already making his fists look like pincushions. To even try and remove a needle from his hands would only create ten more of the angry spikes towards him. It was only the mummy of the trio that would be able to stop these reflections of death. Releasing all his chakra into one devious whistle, the images of the emotionless girl shattered until the mist shinobi stood before them. Unfortunately the strain of using all energy into one attack was too great on the ghoulish sound ninja. He could not dodge the two senbons that would enter his neck. With only two left they chased the girl through the snowy field.

The loyal dog traveling far ahead of the gold bell to try and end his adversary in one blow. He finally got his chance when he caught up to the child of bloody mist. His frost bitten and needle stung palm opens to unleash the pride of his life's endeavors. The cannon within his hand went off freeing a giant haze of ice and cold snow in the area. Kin had to stay a good radius away from fear of being hit by her own partner's attack. When the chilling fog began to clear Kin could see her prideful boy with his arm firmly grasped by this female terror away from both of them. Amazingly this girl made three hand signs with just one hand! That is where the wolf would lose his dignity. This enemy's bole eyes flash with ferocity as the dark oak hair, now unraveling from this war, fall across her face as she screams out 'Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death'. The air once again began to take on a ghastly shape, this time into giant crystal like javelins. Just like last time everything happened too fast for Kin's russet eyes to register. All she could remember was the end result. The wild hair boy's body skewered and trapped within a prison of icicle spears. There was no way his body could move if he were alive. The body lay unmoving amongst its bed of winter thorns. Only one left.

Kin kept pursuit of this kunoichi for her own sake. The creator of sound had not been pleased with their progress lately and this may be the final act of failure that would put them all in their tombs. Well only since the long hair kunoichi is the only one left. Her feet, cold and nearly frozen, dredging through rivers of snow that made it's way just below her knees. Eventually this white layer of flowers would give way to a thin cerulean stream of ice. In this new area, just as bone chilling as the last, Kin would release all the moves in her arsenal against this child. Yet none would prove effective. This girl would deflect everything with her needles; a trait the sound kunoichi thought she had to her own. It would be the end for the long hair bell when the sepia eye warrior would release another jutsu that none had foresaw. 'Ice Jutsu: Busting Ice Crystal' the cool and calm voice of her adversary spoke as the icy platform below Kin's feet transformed into heart chilling water. It then engulfed her and reverted back into its solid state leaving the girl frozen like a crystal sculpture. It was so cold that within the few seconds of being in that ice cube of a casket the gold bell could fell her mind fading from consciousness. Not before watching her opponent through the ice leap into the air and launch a wave of needles at her heart….

Now she was captured in some small cave within a giant tree by this mist foe that would watch her with a small, weary smile from those light brown eyes. How much time had passed since then? It is still bright outside so there isn't a need for a fire. That would probably alert Kin's friends though which is why there is none. The most important question is though…why is she still alive? The bell of sound asks her question hoping to get some type of reply. "I rather not kill you if I can."

"Why? You had no problem killing my teammates."

"I hurt them, but I never killed them. As long as they got some cover from the cold later that day, they should be ok."

Kin lets out a sigh of relief. They were alive although she shouldn't care. It's not like they care about her well being. Speaking of, the girl wonders just how long will it take before this person runs out of patience and kills her. Not that Kin wanted to die. Death is one of the greatest things she fears. Still she can't withdraw from her mission. That would never do. So sooner or later this mist ninja would have to kill her. "Why are you being so kind? You know as soon as I'm back with my teammates where going to come after you again." Kin states weakly as she lets out a slight cough.

"Come after me all you want. I'll stop all of you again and again." the girl states with her naturally calm speech. She also lets out a cough of exhaustion

"Yeah, yea. Just don't count yourself lucky next time. Zaku won't be infatuated by your looks again."

"That's good to hear. I'm not into boys."

"So you're a lesbian?"

"No."

Took Kin a few seconds before she registered this puzzle. "Wait then you're a boy?" she asks with a surprising tone. The youth of mist just nods her… his head with a slight chuckle. No way. It couldn't be. He's so slender though! "You're lying."

"No, I'm really a male."

"Then prove it."

"How do you want me to do that?"

"Open the robe and pull that turtleneck up."

Another few seconds pass before the kunoichi realizes what she just asked. Before she could renounce her comment the mist shinobi opens the bluish robe and raises his brown sweater for his captive. Indeed she…I mean he does have a chest. Quite the chest. Not one beefed with muscles that set a girl on fire. One that can be best described as coolly sexy. Enough to get him notice while still retaining a smooth, supple form. The only blemish seems to be a giant scar in the middle of his chest as if a tiny meteor or lightning bolt had struck and left a crater.

"I'm going to pull my shirt back down now. Your giving me that same look that your teammate was giving me when my mask came off." The boy states with a chuckle that makes the sound girl to turn a shade of pink and turn away. "It's not like that. It's that scar in your chest." She states regaining her composure from her prone position. The sepia eye youth of mist glances down at the darkened skin between his heart and lungs with a pleased nostalgia. "This happened a couple of weeks ago in Wave Country. It's only a small penalty to pay for the one precious to me." This only causes more confusion in the long hair girl's mind. It looks like something almost plowed through his chest. He did that for someone else? That's something Kin could probably never do for someone else. To possibly die in such a way? It baffles her. "Shouldn't you have that wound bandaged up? It doesn't look fully healed as yet." The yellow bell questions and moves her body up to sitting position. The warm comforter falls from her body to her waist bringing the stinging sensation of the cold.

"Your own wounds used up the rest of the medical supplies I had. I had to use mine to finish bandage you up." the youth states, tying his dark brown hair into a bun behind his skull. The girl quickly pulls the comforter back up to her shoulders glaring at the boy with her own dark orbs. This reaction startles him slightly wondering what has he done to cause this reaction. "You don't need to worry. My bandages are clean. I used the rest of my own medical bandages on your skin and the ones from my body to just reinforce those." The mist child states hoping that will quell her nerves. "It's not that." The girl sternly replies.

"Then what?"

"Without my permission you took my vest and shirt off to bandage me up? I'm supposed to think this is out of good will? You pervert. If you expect me to give you any favors in return, be prepared for a big disappointment."

The boy lets his palm settle over his mouth trying to contain a jovial chuckle. "What's so funny?" Kin demands becoming more irritated by her captor. "Its nothing. I only had good intentions and I don't want anything in return from you."

"Ok so then what? I don't think shinobi are into charity work. What's your deal then? You're going to use me as a ransom or some type of bargaining chip?"

"Nope. You're free to go right now if you're able to."

"Why?"

"I don't want to kill you unless I have to."

"Why not? Why haven't you killed any of us and you have had a few chances. Why not just kill me so I won't hunt you anymore."

"Then your teammates would be sad."

Them sad? Yea right. That's almost hysterically laughable. The only thing they would grieve over is finding a decent substitute to replace her in the upcoming chuunin exams and that's only if they could complete this mission. "They could care less whether I'm alive or dead. I don't care what happens to them either." the Oto nin replies somberly. This comment wipes the small smile off the boy's lips. This didn't affect Kin either. Her own serious face remains unmoved. "Is there no one precious to you?" the mysterious youth finally speaks up. What is wrong with this guy? He speaks like he hasn't lived a day in shinobi life. This is what Kin thinks as her mind flashes back to anyone that may have been _precious _to her. Mom and dad? Her sister and cousin? They were all buried away in cold darkness, just like the snow that continues to fall outside this little grotto.

"I'm a ninja. I don't need someone beloved. That's what gets you killed. It's what's killing you! If you left then you wouldn't be suffering." The girl spits out with malice cold enough to even make her capturer shiver a bit. Silence ensues for a couple of minutes between the two as they stare at each other. The boy just looking at her trying to understand his company while the girl glares at her attacker waiting to see his next reaction. "If I left my precious person then I'd be alone. Aren't you alone without someone?" His voice, almost a whisper in air asks.

"No. I told you. I'm a shinobi. I don't need anyone else."

"I could never understand this reasoning of shinobi life. You remind me a bit of my precious person."

"Who?"

The child never answers that question. His light brown orbs just turn away from her and gaze at the cloud color ground with its white puffs landing relentlessly upon it. "He once told me that this world is just a blizzard. We all walk through this frozen tundra. Some of us have better equipment than others to bare the cold, but in the end you can still feel the ice piercing your skin. People usually try to walk with others, staying close to them, so that they both can share their heat. As strange as it sounds this heat from others can be enough to walk through this world of ice."

The gold bell's eyes perk up at the back of this ice child's head as he lets out a sigh. "Yet he has always desired to walk through the blizzard alone. By natural instinct people would gather to gain each other's warmth to make it through the snow yet his desire is to walk alone. All he needs is equipment."

"Heh. This person you talk about reminds me of one of my teammates…. so are you this person's equipment then?"

"Yes I am."

"That must be terrible. To just be used as some type of blanket for warmth in this blizzard of yours then?"

"No. It's ok. As long as I'm near him that's ok. I may be only a cover to stop the cold for him, but he's near me…and that what keeps me warm."

Touching words Kin has to admit. There's no one left in her life that she holds so dearly so. Well perhaps her lord, but this boy seems to hold this on a whole new level. "This guy…is he like your father or are you two together? It seems to deep to be just a friendship." Kin asks letting her weaken body lie back on the pillow beneath her. His face, as soft as the snow, views the hurt girl with a returning small smile and tiny snigger. "No. It's not like that. I'm no different than a kunai to him, but to me…well maybe the best thing to describe it is savior. He saw me and saved me from the cold when no one else would. There aren't any words I can think of to describe this feeling. The best example I can use is a complete stranger acknowledging you once everyone else, even those that you know, have shunned you away." His speech prolongs. Kin knows a little bit of what he is saying. Her own master had saved her from the icy pit of darkness, yet his saving hand is only guaranteed with success…the boy then continues "Anyways I can assure you that him and I like women. If not then maybe I can show you," he jokingly states to see the girl nod her head, which startles him a bit.

"What's your name?"

"I am Haku. And yours?"

"Kin." the girl replies while wobbly returning her torso vertical. Her lips begin to move again. "Is it really that good? I've been alone most of my life. I don't remember what it feels like to have someone walk besides me." Her palm makes gentle contact with the boy's cheek, letting hers finger feel the tender texture of his skin. "Maybe I can come with you?".

Haku could feel his own heart begin to beat irregular. It's been a while since his heart began to beat so fast. Considering what had happened in Wave Country a few weeks ago it probably isn't recommended in his condition, but it couldn't be helped. "You can come along. I don't think anyone would mind." The boy's voice states a little shaky as Kin's gentle touch drew him closer. The two pairs of brown spheres remain locked while the faces of their masters' edge closer and closer. "Well would you take me?" the kunoichi's voice slowly crawls from her breath so that Haku could feel it's warmth against his face. "I…". The child of mist never got to finish his sentence. It became lost between the lips of long hair girl.

The girl's fingers gently caress the back of mist shinobi's neck guiding him closer to her. This feeling is new to the mist boy. All his life he spent training under his mentor. There were a few times that he interacted with others, but that was only for a short time. Other people only became acquaintances for a short time. If they new the chilling truth about him…well they would abandon him like everyone else. Yet in this moment of fervor he has not felt so warm in years. Even if his body is frozen from the kunoichi's sudden zeal his spirit never felt so warm since before his parents hated him and when the demon found him.

Yet as much euphoria the mist nin was receiving the sound nin still remembers her purpose. She is a sound shinobi. A kunoichi. A warrior of the legendary sannin expected to attain victory in any way. Kin's master is counting on her. The girl's teammates are also counting on her. They would be no mistakes this time. Even if this feminine boy's kiss is cool and innocent, her life first. Her life alone is what comes first.

Which is why with her other palm, which rubs her captor's back, arches back revealing a senbon that slides out from the armband. It would only take a quick thrust in the ear. It would take too long to line up the thin device with the cord that connects the skull and spine from her point of view. Kin thrusts her lips more against Haku's, battling to keep him elated till the job is done. She keeps one eye open to make sure that both of his are still closed. Slightly watching the metal pin glimmer within the dimly lighted inlet she lets the fingers that holds the boy with a deceptive love tighten slightly to keep his head in place. Now for the kill.

The warm movement of their lips stop and the only feeling as their lips still pressed is a cold air, as cold as the glaciers from dozens of centuries ago. Both her eyes peer at the thin instrument slowly flicker as some drops of blood trickle off of it from the child's ear. Her eyes turn back to see his bronze pupils staring chillingly into her own copper orbs. Unfortunate for Kin that she forgets the she isn't the only needle user. Being trained at jounin and hunter nin extremes; Haku's mastery of the senbon is nearly flawless. So of course he would recognize the slight and almost unnoticeable jolt another needle user would do to make sure the deadly instrument would hit its target when nearby. It is something he's learned many years ago. So just before his false love could lodge the weapon into his skull from his ear, Haku grips the Kin's fingers with enough speed and precise intensity to hold the hand in place and make sure no other movement would pursue. Kin could swear a thick sheet of hail hit her palm, causing her hand to feel like it is frostbitten. Kin knew also that she's pushed this guy's patience as far as it would go.

Now is when she'll die.

His cream arm pushes the girl away, making the skull within the dense hair crack into the frozen floor. The eyes of this other mist demon would not turn away. She couldn't look into those bronze circles of frost. She couldn't watch her death. Her eyes shut quickly like someone pulling the blinds to a window down. Her mind was expecting him to use the same needle she tried to end his life with as the killing utensil. Hopefully an icy heart would not make him draw her killing out and he could just send her to Phlegethon quickly.

The kunoichi's heart has frozen waiting for end. To die. It made her shiver, but to wait was worse. If he didn't do it quickly her own anxiety would take her. Her eyelids lift just slightly so she could see what this menace is plotting. Surprisingly his attention is on packing up the little amount of supplies he had with him. "What are you doing?" she asks still a bit frightened to what may happen. "We've stayed here long enough. Any longer and the snow will be too much for us to hike through." "Us??"

Haku merely smirks at her as he takes off his blue robe, leaving the oak turtleneck underneath and hands it to her. "It will give you some warmth as we go through the snow."

"Why are you doing this?"

"You said you wanted to come."

"Stop acting stupid. You know I only did that to try and kill you. I was lying."

"I believe there is some truth within lies."

"What about my allies? They are not just going to let you steal me away."

"I'll leave your jacket behind for them to find. It has enough bloodstains in it to look like you died. Hopefully they'll just believe that you died. Even if not, it should deter them for a bit." Does this guy have an answer for everything? "What if I don't want to come with you?"

The pure face of the boy tilts towards Kin. "You said you're not needed in your village. There is no reason for you to stay then. With him and I maybe we can find use for you. With enough practice your use of senbons can become as good as mine. It'll probably be better this way. I may not have much time left in this world…" The gold needle didn't understand his last few words, but decided to abide by his rules for now. Through Haku she can get closer to Demon of the Mist and perhaps bring him back for her own lord. "Just don't think of harming Zabuza or I'll kill you." His voice sternly replies. Ok that may take a while to do. The way this mist child says it is just no threat. This little icy demon is truly crazy. To save an enemy that has tried to kill him over a dozen times within the past two weeks. It's confusing since the mist boy is prepared to kill her in an instant yet he doesn't. She can't fight him in her wounded condition. For now Kin will listen.

She allows the teal robe to hug her body and her oppressor. or liberator to carry her on his back. The green vest is left in the snow for whichever sound shinobi will be soon upon it and the two begin to trudge through the blizzard. Slowly each of his feet makes its way into the snow that's a large as a small dog. The walk is slow, like a wounded animal on it's last bit of life, but the boy's determination is strong. The snow has begun to crack its frozen baseballs into their faces and bodies. Well Haku's own. He had position the girl on his back and chose to walk into the sleet so that he alone would take on the sky's assault. Alone… and cold. Maybe it's because have that reason Kin wraps her arms around his neck and moves her own face closer to his. It's not much. Maybe even miniscule, but it will provide some warmth. Hopefully this would be enough.


	2. The Little Things

Still trying to get back in the swing of things. Hopefully I'm not too rusty at this. Updates to other stories soon. Hope you enjoy.

_**The Little Things**_

Snow falling, snow falling. Never ceasing.

It's always been that way for him. Ever since he was born from his ambitious father and nurturing mother to when at his young age the Mizukage took them away so out of spite he took away the next graduating class. From this event he became known as the mist demon, but the ice still fell. It continued when he became a jounin and entered the seven swords of the mist by slaughtering his comrades. The snow would still descend even after he mastered the silent killing with a blade the size of a grown man. Even after all these accomplishments the mist and the snow, the two things he's known since his toddler days, always feel like they're trying to smother him until his lungs can no longer beat and his throat fails to swallow the air.

Why is that? Could it be the years of bad karma? All the blood he's shed is finally a lake large enough to drown him. Perhaps weariness of life? Well to the dark hair jounin that didn't matter anymore. That type of thinking was of little concern and Zabuza would never stress over the little things. Completely different from his newly acquired company…

"Another leak! It dripped right on top of my dango too." another voice cries out that could be heard throughout the little rut of a house. This only makes the master of quiet death wish he could use one of his techniques upon himself. With her it was always the little things. So what if the little treat is waterlogged? Considering some of the things he's eaten on missions just to survive, that dango is luxury. Another reason the Momochi feels his life is cast in some type of malevolent blizzard.

Nothing went right after the coup d'etat. Someone leaked information and notified the Mizukage of his planned rebellion. The assassination ended in failure and also cost the ninja of mist four subordinates. To escape Kirigakure that night was like trying to escape from the jaws of a shark that had already bitten into you. The zanbato wielder fought every type of ninja under the dismal moon that night, including another from the Seven Swordsmen of Mist. Somehow he and his tool managed to survive.

This would not be the end. A marked animal, his only course of income was to lower himself as nothing more than a thug for greedy syndicate leaders such as Gato. Zabuza didn't mind working for foul magnates like him. He was of little importance. That and the unruly jounin had to keep his eyes on the big picture, the mist village. So the ninja and his weapon would obey the corrupt tycoon until they met their match in the form of hidden leaves.

The Sharingan warrior and his band of brats proved to be too much for himself and Haku. Zabuza never liked to use the word miracle since there are no such things, but that day might have been one. The silver hair leaf, with his piercing eye managed to slightly change the angle of his arm and slow down his thrust. So when the thousand birds struck the demon of ice, it was not an instant kill. Still a very critical blow that would have ended in death by sunset, but it gave Zabuza time. The demon of mist had killed Gato despite every sharp construction that the greedy pig's men could stick through him. Even with both his arms useless he could still manage to grip his fangs on the thin thread of life that seems to always dangle him over the river of death. The copy ninja put the hurt boy upon his bloody and broken shoulder and the ambitious demon left with his utensil. There wasn't a reason anymore for the mist demon and the copycat to battle anymore. The oppressor of the land of waves had already lost his head.

Broken and battered the silent killer managed to find aid for his loyal student from different medical shinobi. Eventually they were able to at least repair the fissure in his chest and get the boy walking again. The medics would not repair the mist ninja though. They might have felt pity on Haku with his pure heart and innocent face, but Zabuza has neither of those. They refused to help save a killer so he can kill another day.

So with only his faithful weapon by his side, the renegade put his entire hope in the boy for his healing. This may have work, but Zabuza's life has always been a harsh blizzard. There would be no end to his hardships as yet. It started out when he met another deserter of the Seven Swords. The fish, with his aura-eating blade. He did manage to shave a few years off the soundless killer, but not stop the rest of his years. After that encounter it only lead to an encounter with warriors from the newest village. Shinobi of the sound. His black orbs have yet to see these enemies, but Haku has taken care of them by himself so far. Hopefully they shouldn't pose much of a threat although their attacks have been too frequent.

If it were only he and Haku, Zabuza would be more at ease. No instead they have this woman from the last village his mind wants to think about. This Anko person. "I should have really tried to find a better place than this." the instructor says to no one in particular sitting back with one leg over the other in chair. She constantly moves her tray so the ceiling's tears would not any of her lunch. Cream fingers flick another little toothpick her dango used to reside away. The little stick is embedded into the wall along with about two dozen more, creating a mist symbol right next to the leaf symbol, her previous project from before.

All the waiting inside this little wooden house has made her anxious for action. It's not like the kunoichi's company is 'Mr. Talkative' either. Since entering this small cove the large man was put to rest on a small bed. His arms still are immobile and his back looks like it went through a cheese grater. It's been covered over in bandages and comforters so it's only seen when the white clothe needs to be changed. Since arriving in this little house the hurt jounin has only glared at the ceiling with a scowl that probably would have caused embers to spark in wood and melt the window above had it not been so cold outside. He's said nothing unless it was to his young associate. It is these small details that irk the kunoichi to no end. She doesn't like to be ignored or glared at. Years in Konoha after being the apprentice of the serpent has made the dark hair ninja fed up of that type of treatment.

"You think this storm is going to let up soon?" the snake woman asks to the prone demon. No reply. Of course she expected it yet it would not stop her from continuing. "If it does let up soon we can try moving to some where else. All we just need is for that kid of yours to return back." Still no reply. Again the snake user foresaw this action. Still this knowledge didn't make her any less ticked off.

"Hopefully he isn't bringing back any unwanted guests. Well even if he does I'll be ready. I could use the exercise."

Still no response.

"Well at least I can defend myself. I don't know what you're going to do in your condition."

He doesn't even make a groan or growl.

"If you ask me nicely maybe I'll defend you."

The mist demon's glare never leaves the glass window above his head. Frustrations finally reaching its peak like a glass about to overflow. "Hey you scumbag! You could at least talk back. Is it that hard to open that jaw of yours!" the once kind and collected voice of Anko now barks out. The hurt shinobi made no movement at all as if there is some secret he intends to keep to himself. The littlest, tiniest movement he could make to just please her, but his mind is on much bigger things. "Hey are you deaf!?"

"When you say something that's actually important then maybe I'll reply." the zanbato wielder speaks calmly through his bandaged mouth, which is quite the contrast to his company. "Important!"

"Yes. So unless it's significant why don't you just keep your mouse mouth shut." Zabuza's sentence ends with a kunai whizzing by inches above his head and stabbing into the wooden wall. Most people would pee their pants with a dagger nearing that close to their cranium. Many ninja would be afraid too knowing that it was the student of renegade sannin throwing the weapon. Yet this intimidation would not affect Zabuza. Death followed his back closer than the snow that hugs the ground in snow country.

"If you don't like my company so much, then you can just leave. You're of little importance now." the silent murderer hisses out. If the dango eating kunoichi could leave then she would have. Unfortunately obsession is much greater than reason and chance to payback everything her old teacher had done is too much of an opportunity to pass up. A lead had turned up of a connection between the legendary ninja and this new village. Against the Hokage's order she left during the night. Searching and searching she eventually came across the two shinobi of Kiri, hurt and nearly dead in the snow. The innocent weapon with a tattoo on his chest the size of a baseball. The elder ninja with his arms bandaged and tied to his chest and on closer inspection his back and chest looked like as if something shaved his flesh off.

It was about two weeks ago when she found them. The leaf kunoichi managed to find a small wooden house for the three to stay in until they are able to defend themselves. Well her actual intentions are to encounter the snake master. If he's after this mist demon sooner or later he'll show himself. Or maybe the leaf warrior could just capture one of his subordinates. As long as Anko follows these two mist warriors, she would eventually run into her most hated enemy. Once that man is disposed of, she could turn the two renegades into leaf. Not a bad plan. At least that's what Anko believes.

"Nothing would give me more pleasure than to watch your brow less face turn blue and freeze. For whatever reason, that snake wants you. The quickest way for me to get to him is through you. So be a good boy and do what I say."

"Don't patronize me like one of your leaf brats. Especially since your just a brat too."

"Ohh someone doesn't like being treated that way. But you're such a cute baby demon. Be a good boy and I'll give you one of my dangos now."

"Once I'm fully healed I'm going to cleave you in half."

"Such a good personality you have. It's a mystery how someone so charming as you could end up in a position like this." the dark hair woman replies in which she only gets a grunt from her prone acquaintance. Yes! A victory for her against the mist demon. See the copy ninja isn't the only one that can beat him albeit it being a victory only in wits.

Yet even from her sitting position she can see those dark pupils of his never even leave its stare from the ceiling. He didn't even bat an eye during that whole conversation. "What's so special on the ceiling." Anko curiously asks letting her legs carry her over to the bed the shinobi lay. The light brown eyes of hers view up to see the same little window with snow still falling gracelessly and pattering on the frame. "What is so special about the snow?" the kunoichi asks still letting her taupe eyes view the snow-smudged window. "Nothing is. I'm thinking that's all." is the mist shinobi's terse reply.

"Must be something important then. Looks like your mind has been hard at work for the last couple of days. Are you worried about your student?" she inquiringly questions. This could have made the Kiri exile give off one of his few laughs. He would have if it didn't hurt so much to laugh. Worried about his little weapon? The boy's skills were above his as well as this leaf kuniochi. If anything his innocent, yet deadly hands would be the one to put down the defector of Konoha and not hers. "I don't need to worry about him. Haku's a prize gift far surpassing anything your village could scrounge up. He'll return regardless of what trouble he gets into."

"Gift? You talk about the boy as if he's a thing."

"He's my weapon. It's simple as that."

"You can't be serious about that now?"

"Is it that surprising that other villages have different views? Not all villages view their associates with the highest regard like your village. He's no different from my blade. As long as the boy can get the job done. That's what matters. Everything else is of little concern." the man told the kunoichi let his eyelids shut. All this woman's yapping has gotten the mist ninja tired. Sadly for him the aggressive diva is yet to be finished with him.

At first his bandaged neck can feel the rough jolt of her fingers digging into both flesh and cloth. Anko's fingers takes a bite right above the silent killer's collar bone and raises his upper torso to meet her eyes. Has this leaf ninja gone mad? Did she forget who the Momochi is? The dark hair female always jumped the gun, but there would be no apologies this time.

"Take that back!" Anko's voice thunders out that almost makes the mist rebel leap and prepare for a fight. Zabuza keeps his cool though. He blinks to recollect himself and calmly questions this sudden rough behavior. "That boy risks his life for you on a daily basis and that's all you think of him!"

"Little things like feelings don't matter in the shinobi world. You're a jounin. You should know that."

"Screw what we're supposed to know! That child could be dead right now a…"

"And if he is, it would be a shame, but I'd move on." the water user states as blandly as if talking about a rusty sword. The kunoichi's grasp only gets tighter, until her nails start to dig into the man's skin and the bandages around his neck began to rip. With knuckles starting to resemble the color of the weather outside the leaf proctor mutters out "You bastard. You're just like that slithering scum. Just exploiting others for your own benefits and nothing else. That child was ready to fight me to the death when I first found the both of you. Battered and bruised he's out there right now fending for you. You trash. Once I'm done with the snake I'll kill you myself."

"Why does our business concern you?"

"Because I know what it's like to be a tool and thrown away!"

This lecture or her threats were of trivial importance to Zabuza. Even being compared to one of the greatest terrors in Konoha has little effect on him. There is one thing she did say that gets to him. It's something similar to what the blonde brat said. And just because of that fact, it actually had major importance. His last battle did teach him. The silent killer did not forget the child in orange's words. It made him consider a lot. The thing that took over most of his mind now is his next plan of achieving the rebellion and taking control of the mist village…without Haku. The brow less face cringed slightly at the thoughts of letting go his precious tool. Yet the innocent child had much of his life taken to his master's own needs. It's time he starts living for himself. Zabuza feels he owes him that much.

Yet now a new idea has entered his mind. This woman whose now lost in her own mind and thankfully has released that fanged grip seems to care enough. Perhaps she could look out for him. "Well then if you care so much why don't you take him?" Zabuza says nonchalantly, his dark orbs waiting to see his acquaintance's reaction. Those light brown pupils widen with suspicion and stun. "Why would you want me to do that?" her voice speaks at a level not needed because the two are close enough as it is.

"You call me scum for depriving him and now your surprised that I let him free."

"Yes I am. I know people like you. You're just like that slithering bastard. You let your ambitions control and deceive you."

"As much as complement it is to compare me to him we're not the same. We may be close to the same, but there are little things that make us different."

"Yea yea yea…" the kunoichi replies waving her hand as if she's had enough of his mouth. Before returning to her seat the short hair proctor gives a glance at her watch. "Well it's time for your medicine. I better give it to you or that kid of yours will try to kill me." Anko mutters out rubbing the top of her head. Knowing what this would entail, the water user tries his best to lay back down and let sleep take him quickly.

Sadly that same venomous grip bites into the white cloth keeping his body from resting on the bed. Two nails tear back the ivory ribbons that conceal his lips. "Ohh no you don't. You're getting your medicine this time." the kunoichi states mischievously using her other hand to place the two tablets on a spoon. Past experience has taught her to keep all fingers away from this mist ninja's mouth. Past experience has also taught the kunoichi to bind his legs. Kneeling over him the woman could use her leg strength to keep the Kiri exile's own lower torso at bay. You would be surprise how stubborn Zabuza could be once he set his mind on what he would or would not do. All the warriors in heaven and demons in hell couldn't deter his thinking.

Yet it would take the same amount of fighters to deter the overzealous jounin from her mission. Especially when it presented a challenge. "No open your mouth before I have to get drastic!" the snake charmer orders, sticking the plastic utensil at the sick shinobi's jaw. His mouth made no movements of opening at first. Then suddenly, as swift as the predators of the deep blue, his fangs snap shut around the eating device with such force that it cracked in half leaving the bright eye female with a piece of a handle and thumb that is missing part of a nail.

Anko gazes at what is left of her nail and…well what was once a spoon. Her eyes then take a gander back at the mist warrior whose mouth was crunching down on a mixture of medicine and things that should not be eaten. Her lips were about to curve into a grin of victory until that shark like mouth of Zabuza's return the two tablets at her face.

Peeling the saliva drenched tablets from her cheek the leaf ninja hisses out "You do know when that spoon comes back out you're going to be in a lot of pain." As if in reaction to her comment, the nail and the other three-fourths of the spoon (now mangled into some form of a ball) return hitting the other cream cheek of Anko. "Thanks for the advice." the demon of Kiri states with a snicker. Not surprising. There was no such thing as easy for Zabuza, and he made sure nothing was easy for those around him. Did this dango devouring annoyance really think she could have made him eat it because it was on a spoon? No way. If she wanted those tablets to be consumed she best be prepared to ram it down his throat.

Which is her next plan. That sudden fervent personality of the kunoichi made surprising plans. The damn medicine was getting in somehow. "So you want to be tough. Fine we'll play." the dark hair kunoichi replies with an impish grin as she plops both tablets into her mouth. As if seeing the kunoichi's plot, the brow less face cringes into aggression. "If you try and do what you're thinking I'll bite your tongue off."

"Well you're not going to eat this any other way. Besides I like a little struggle. I'll bite back."

"Listen you leaf sl"

The demon of mist is never able to finish that sentence. Like a snake intruding the nest of a bird, Anko's tongue slid past the carnivorous teeth of the injured exile. Letting the rest of her body press down upon the shinobi, but not letting her lips stop the infiltration, the kunoichi has him pinned down. If he had his sword, he'd cut her in two. If his arms were functional, he'd have strangled her. Yet this woman got the upper hand… this time.

Two minutes later, when she's felt that the tablets have finally slithered down her victim's throat, Anko returns on her knees on top of her acquaintance, swiping a small line of blood from her cheek. "Brow less bastard. I didn't think you'd actually bite me."

"You should be happy I didn't bite off your tongue. Now keep your ass quiet.", the mist ninja barks out as his own little river of blood slowly rolls down his lip. Those radiant brown pupils glance at the lower lip of the wounded jounin. "Aww did I hurt you? Let me lick that up.", the kunoichi states happily. Before Zabuza can get a word of defiance in the leaf kunoichi has already let her pink tongue lap up the small amount of red liquid on his lip and chin. "Mmm. Not bad.", her voice states with a slight cheerfulness as clear nails soak up the last drops of scarlet water from her tongue. "You're disgusting, despicable, and annoying. As soon as my body is healed I'll slice you in more pieces than a jigsaw puzzle.", the mist rebel replies irritated.

"Uhh… I don't mean to interrupt, but…" the low, yet curious voice of the innocent ice demon. Within the tussle, neither jounin had noticed the door open, the cold air rushing in around them or the unblemished mist child. He is carrying someone on top of his back with hair as long as there body. It makes him look like he's covered in black vines mixed with dabs of frost. "There is nothing to interrupt." The boy's master replies indifferently as if this situation is just another normal day in their lives.

Anko rises off the prone demon, adjusting her hair and shuffling her coat. "Finally back kid. I was starting to think you died. Who is that person on your back?"

"She's lost. She would have frozen out in the snow if I didn't bring her."

"Looks like she lost consciousness because of the cold. Just lay her in the room on my bed."

This did not set well with the quiet killer. It's hard enough to get by with just the two of them. Then this leaf woman comes join up and now another one. One thing of big importance to Zabuza was his peace. He couldn't get that now with all these other people. "I wish you would stop brining home strays Haku." his voice sternly states showing agitation. "I'm sorry…" the long hair youth replies humbly and then tries to change the subject. "Did you take your medicine today?" The mist demon only grumbles and returns to lying down. "Don't worry. I made sure Mr. Moody got his medicine. Just go put the girl to bed." Anko, tells the ice child, taking back her seat in the chair.

Carrying the lost girl into a warm bed, Haku notices something unusual. His eyes have been trained to not only see the big picture, but the miniscule tidbits that might go unnoticed. The dango-eating girl returns to her tasty food, but since he's met her it's the first time she has not tossed the little toothpick to start another shinobi symbol. Instead she just plays with it between her lips while her mind is contemplating something. The mist demon is also different. Since lying on that couch his eyesight has yet to move from the little window above his area. It's been something he always did when injured. Those dark, fierce eyes would never deter once they were in contemplation. Today though his head has turned to the side so only the wall could see his face. Unusual but it would be something the innocent boy will examine another time.

Just about to grab another dango from her box, the leaf shinobi looks on saddened to see the ceiling's tears drenched the rest of her treats in ice, snow water droplets. "No! Not rest of my dangos! Dammit. This won't taste good at all now." her breath sighs in irritation. Her exasperation also makes the mist demon sigh out in annoyance.

It's always the little things.


End file.
